Barbara Recchia, survivor and race founder, continues the cause with Barb’s Tri
Just beyond the finish line at the inaugural Barb’s Tri on the third Saturday in July, Healdsburg’s Barbara Recchia stood dispensing equal amounts of medals and hugs.
A two-time cancer survivor and dedicated triathlon founder and volunteer, Recchia has been on a crusade to help others that have been similarly afflicted for more than two decades.
Recchia was the namesake and driving force behind Barb’s Race, an all-women’s triathlon that raised more than $1 million in its 15-year existence in the fight against cancer before being dropped following the sale of the Vineman brand to Ironman Inc. in 2015.
Last year, she joined forces with Skip Brand of the Healdsburg Running Company, Athletic Director Adam Ray of Scena Performance and race sponsor Bellwether Farms, to resurrect the event in 2017.
Now known as Barb’s Tri, the inaugural race took place on July 22 and included 100 women, competing on a picturesque course that started and finished at Memorial Beach in Healdsburg.
The event picked up where its predecessor left off in raising over $33,000, with proceeds going to the Sutter Institute for Health and Healing in Santa Rosa, an organization which offers physical, emotional and spiritual care and comfort for cancer patients to relieve the effects of their treatment.
The race included a minimum fundraising requirement for each participating athlete, roughly equal to the registration fee.
“Because of their efforts we were able to support so many more people in our community with a cancer diagnosis,” Recchia said of the participating athletes. “I was so honored to hang a medal on them to thank them for their fundraising efforts and celebrate their finish.”
Barb’s Tri offered female athletes a variety of triathlon race distances, including an Olympic distance (.93 mile swim, 27.9 mile bike, 6.2 mile run), and a Sprint distance (.5 mile swim, 14 mile bike, 3.1 mile run). The event also included an Olympic Relay, with three athletes on each team.
Barbra Friedman, a massage therapist from Forestville, was the top individual fundraiser for Barb’s Tri 2017, raising an impressive $6,335 in just three weeks.
For Recchia, who personally raised $5,000 this year, the collective efforts of fellow race organizers, volunteers and participants was both gratifying and emotional.
“I was so thrilled by the amount we raised with only 100 participants — the women really got behind the cause and did an amazing job with fundraising,” she said. “I was so inspired by their reasons for signing up and I especially enjoyed meeting the racers at the finish.”
A lifetime of giving
Recchia was honored for her remarkable contributions with the USA Triathlon Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014, receiving the award in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the USA Triathlon Athlete of the Year and Multi-sport Awards Banquet.
According to the USA Triathlon organization, the award “Memorializes those who have made significant contributions to USA Triathlon and the multi-sport lifestyle.
These contributions, whether they have been in performance, leadership, volunteerism or mentorship, demonstrate impact on the multi-sport lifestyle and support an extended commitment to the sport.
